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On 13th March, we hosted a hands-on workshop led by Natalia Milanesi, diving deep into the world of technology for creative performance.

The session brought together some of the most innovative tools in modern music-making, the Teenage Engineering OP-XY synth, sampler and sequencer and the Eventide H90 pedal. But rather than simply demonstrating what these tools can do, the workshop threw students straight into the deep end with remarkable results.

In under 30 minutes, the group created a short song snippet entirely from scratch. Students sampled sounds from everyday objects, programmed a beat using the OP-XY, recorded a guitar part processed through the Eventide H90, and sang a topline over the top, all with Natalia's guidance. The result was a glimpse into just how quickly and creatively technology can be harnessed in a performance and production setting.

The session also opened up a broader conversation about how these tools can be integrated into live performing setups and creative production workflows, and how different combinations of technology can unlock new possibilities for artists at any stage of their career.

Missed it? Keep an eye out for future workshops, because opportunities like this don't come around often.

On 13th March, we welcomed Hannes Andersson, CEO and Co-Founder of Oeksound, for what turned out to be one of the most engaging sessions we've hosted.

Hannes opened up about his journey into plugin development, sharing how he and his business partners came together and what drove them to start building tools that would go on to become staples in mixing engineers' workflows around the world. It was a candid and fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most respected names in audio software today.

From there, Hannes walked through the story behind each of Oeksound's plugins, the problems they were designed to solve, the thinking that shaped their development, and how real-world mixing challenges inspired each one. It's rare to hear directly from the person who built the tools you use every day, and the insight into the "why" behind each plugin gave the session a depth that went well beyond a typical product demo.

The workshop also covered the creative side of the Oeksound suite, not just using these tools to fix problems in a mix, but using them as genuinely expressive instruments in their own right. Hannes showed how resonance suppression, transient control, and tonal shaping can be approached with a musical ear, opening up new possibilities for how these plugins fit into a creative workflow.

Whether you're a professional mixer, a music producer, or just someone who geeks out over audio tools, this session had something to offer. Keep an eye on our upcoming events and we'll be hosting more sessions like this soon.

SPARKX Lab officially launched with its inaugural industry workshop, welcoming Nugen Audio to campus for a hands on deep dive into professional mixing, mastering and post production workflows.

The session was delivered by Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe, Product Specialist at NUGEN Audio, whose extensive experience across mastering and post production brought valuable real world insight into the room. The workshop was designed not as a theoretical overview, but as a practical exploration of tools and decision making in professional contexts.

Morning Session: Mixing and Mastering in Practice

The morning focused on applying mixing and mastering tools to a commercially released project. Students were able to observe professional workflows in action, exploring how critical listening, metering, dynamic control and finalisation processes are approached at industry level.

Rather than treating plugins as isolated tools, the session examined how they function within a wider mastering chain and how engineers make informed technical and creative decisions under professional constraints. The discussion also covered translation across playback systems, loudness standards and delivery considerations for streaming platforms.

Afternoon Session: Post Production and Multichannel Audio

In the afternoon, attention shifted to post production for film and television, with particular focus on multichannel formats. Students experienced immersive 3D audio mixes firsthand and gained insight into workflow structures for surround and immersive environments.

Key technical areas included dialogue clarity, spatial imaging, loudness compliance and deliverable specifications for different distribution platforms. The session demystified multichannel production while reinforcing the importance of precision, standards and adaptability in professional audio environments.

Industry Insight in Action

The workshop marked the official launch of SPARKX Lab and set the tone for its mission: bridging academic learning with professional practice. By bringing industry directly into the learning environment, students gain exposure not only to tools, but to mindset, expectations and evolving standards.

More workshops with leading industry partners are planned in the coming months, continuing SPARKX Labs’ commitment to applied research, creative exploration and meaningful knowledge exchange.

SPARKX Labs is where experimentation meets professional reality, and this first session set a strong foundation for what is to come.